The wait is over, and Scientist of Sound have finally done it again. After six years in the making and their newest album The Beginning (of the beginning of the end) it was beginning to feel like there would be no end to the making of it.
With some help from friend and producer Alex Meade who aided in the mixing of this album, the Scientists are left with fourteen amazing danceable tracks, because if the Scientists know how to do one thing it’s how to put together the right concoction of sounds to make our feet move in ways we never even thought possible.
“Working with Alex was great, and it definitely gave the songs a different feel than our mixes would have,” says Craig Mercer guitarist and vocalist for SOS.
“We were so deep into the production of the album that it was getting harder and harder for us to be able to make any objective decisions, so we decided to hand it off, though it wasn’t a ‘let it go’ type hand-off. He is probably super happy it is done now, because he got a first-hand glimpse at our incredible OCD when it comes to music.”
The opening title track includes a choir-like harmony that gives you the feeling of “oh shit, what cult did I just join?” but if you were not already a follower of the men in animal masks before, then you sure will be within the next hour.
Previously released last week, we were treated to “Dark Side Of The Room” along with a music video. Delving into the lyrics we learn about the struggle of mental health and how easily depression can take over to the point that you do not even recognize yourself anymore.
It is apparent in “Cookie Cutter” that we have entered into a world where everyone is taught to be the same, do not dare speak your own thoughts because we should all think alike. Just like a cookie cutter each person is cut to conform and act the same, but also like a cookie this is a beat you can savor. The punchy synth with added gang vocals gives it just that extra flavor.
“People United” opens up with the famous chant “the people united will never be defeated,” stemming from a song created in support of popular unity government in Chile. This song sounds like Pink Floyd’s track “Empty Space” drank one too many coffees and started working in overdrive.
If the Scientists are not belting out lyrics then they sure as hell are giving us an earful of amazing instrumental tracks. “Remembering to Forget” features a buildup of arpeggios layered with the incredible violin playing of Calen Kinney of The Stanfields, who can also be heard on “Say Goodbye To The Setting Sun” and “The Beginning (of the beginning of the ending)”. “Blinders ON” sneaks in those buildups with the last measure joining the entire band together with a funky guitar delay.
“Invisibl Wall”s steers us through the world of fake news and is definitely a standout track on this album.
“’Invisibl Walls’ is about misinformation and fake news – something we’ve all been exposed to a lot lately, explains Mercer. “We are in an era where you quite literally shouldn’t take anything you see on the internet as truth until you dig a little deeper into it, and with all the horrifying Deepfake tech out there now it’s easy to see how this is going to get a lot crazier in the coming years. We’ve already got a bunch of people sharing stories that are just horseshit like they are truth on social media, so now we’ve got a song about it – and It is one of my favorite tracks on the record.”
If you have ever seen the movie Pink Floyd’s The Wall, then you probably get where we are going with this. Scientist Of Sound have created not only some amazing tracks they have also weaved into it a deeper story along with personal experiences, you just have to listen very closely to the lyrics they deliver in between your two-step. Now, to accompany their story, James Farrell has created over 75 images in which SOS will be delivering more detail about as the record releases.
“James created a ton of images and we will just be sharing them and talking about the inspiration behind the tracks as we roll through the release of the record over the next bit,” says Mercer. “We’ve also made some prints for our run of merchandise for the release shows.”
“James is an incredible artist, and as soon as we started putting this together we knew he had to be the guy to create the artwork for us.”
“We are really happy with the way the record turned out. It is a project we started several years ago, and our lives and the world around us have completely changed in that time. We didn’t intentionally set out to write this nerdy dystopian apocalyptic protest album, but when you have a couple of kids and you start worrying about what their future is going to be like, you can’t help but be driven to talk about it.”
Tour Dates:
11.15.19 – Fredericton, NB @ The Capital Complex
11.16.19 – Saint John, NB @ Pub Down Under
11.22.19 – Charlottetown, PEI @ Hunter’s Ale House
11.23.19 – Halifax, NS @ The Marquee Ballroom